Ryan Wallace: Can't-miss games galore on NFL Sunday

If there ever was a weekend to have DIRECTV's NFL Sunday Ticket this is it.

As all of you sports junkies must have heard by now there will be six games on Sunday in which both teams have winning records. It's the latest in any NFL season that there has been that many such meetings.

For those of you without a special football package, you'll still be able to treat yourself to the following games: Green Bay at Chicago (FOX), Denver at Baltimore (CBS) and 49ers at New England (NBC).

If those games don't appeal to you then I recommend the Pizza Factory on South Main or take a drive to the new Buffalo Wild Wings - a long-time favorite of mine - in Seaside, which both offer lots of viewing options, to catch Indianapolis at Houston, the N.Y. Giants at Falcons and Pittsburgh at Dallas.

There's no excuse not to watch the game or games you can't miss this Sunday.

? Green Bay (9-4) at Chicago (8-5), 10 a.m. Sunday (FOX): This old rivalry doesn't need the trash talking, but it sure doesn't hurt. The outcome of this one will most likely lay on the play of the maligned Bears' O-Line.

? Denver (10-3) at Baltimore (9-4), 10 a.m. Sunday (CBS): The Peyton Manning-led Broncos, winners of eight straight, have already clinched a playoff spot but home-field advantage is still out there. The Ravens, who have been spinning their wheels offensively, need to get back on track to prevent the charging Bengals and dangerous Steelers from catching them.

? Indianapolis (9-4) at Houston (11-2), 10 a.m. Sunday: After 13 weeks of moving forward, the Texans took a big step back in their blowout loss to New England on Monday night. Houston and its 3-4 defense needs to get back to what it does best - terrorizing opposing quarterbacks - or else they'll be susceptible to another bright quarterback picking them apart.

? N.Y. Giants (8-5) at Falcons (11-2), 10 a.m. Sunday: At 8-5, the defending Super Bowl champions don't look like world beaters. But then again they didn't last year either. Atlanta, which is already playoff bound, needs to build momentum and have a nice run to get away from being called a great 17-week team.

? Pittsburgh (7-6) at Dallas (7-6), 1:25 p.m. Sunday: Injuries and unfathomable losses have plagued these two teams. But through it all they're both still in the playoff hunt.

? 49ers (9-3-1) at New England (10-3), 5 p.m. Sunday (NBC): The question I have for the San Francisco 49ers is: Are you Super Bowl-worthy? Beating Tom Brady and the Patriots in Foxborough, where they have won 20 straight games, would give me the answer I'm looking for.

? College Basketball, No. 1 Indiana vs. Butler, 11 a.m. Saturday (CBS): Just hearing these schools' names makes me wish for the days of the four-corner offense and no shot clocks. The top-ranked Hoosiers have one of the top offenses in the nation and are very unselfish. Butler, the ultimate underdog a few years back, is off to a 7-2 start and is 1-1 against Big Ten schools this year (beating Northwestern and losing to undefeated Illinois).

? Women's College Volleyball, No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 3 Texas, 4 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2): The Oregon volleyball team can do something the school's football team couldn't this season - win a national title. The Ducks are in the D-I national finals for the first time. Across the net is Texas, who is making its fourth national title match appearance. The Longhorns last won it all in 1988.

? College Basketball, No. 5 Florida vs. No. 8 Arizona, 7 p.m. Saturday (ESPN): It's a battle of 7-0 teams in the desert. Florida is looking for that big road win, while Arizona, who is 5-0 at home, will be facing its stiffest test of the season.

? College Basketball, Mississippi State at Loyola (Chicago), 8 p.m. Saturday, taped, (ESPNU): This game celebrates the landmark event that occurred 50 years ago when Mississippi State snuck out to play a 1963 NCAA tournament game in East Lansing, Mich., against Loyola. The Bulldogs, who were comprised of all-white players, refused to follow an unwritten Mississippi law that prohibited teams from playing integrated opponents. Loyola won that game and went on to win the NCAA championship You can also watch the 2012 edition of this game live on Watch ESPN at 5 p.m.

? Pro Boxing, Paul Mendez (10-2-1, 4 KOs) vs. Lester Gonzalez (12-7-4, 6 KOs), Midnight Saturday (TeleFutura): After a full night of sports, sit down and watch Salinas-trained boxer Paul Mendez fight for the first time or for another look - if you got out to the Salinas Storm House to see the fight in person.

? Women's College Basketball, No. 13 Tennessee at No. 3 Baylor, 5 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN): The Vols complete their Texas Two-Step against Brittney Griner and the Bears. Tennessee is playing Texas on Sunday night. Baylor has peeled off six straight convincing wins - including a 12-point victory over Notre Dame - since its lone loss to Stanford.

? College Basketball, Stanford at No. 25 N.C. State, 6 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN2): The 6-3 Cardinal haven't looked great offensively this year, but should they sneak away with a win over a ranked team who seems to turned the corner, all that will be remembered is the nice win they have on the old résumé.

? NBA, Brooklyn at N.Y. Knicks, 4 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN): The Knicks are the best story in the first quarter of the NBA season, while Brooklyn maybe the second-best story as they keep pace in the Atlantic Division.

? Boys Soccer, Soledad at Salinas, 5 p.m. Wednesday: The Aztecs are rolling through the non-league portion of their schedule with a 5-1-1 record, while Salinas gave Watsonville quite a match on Thursday in their MBL Gabilan opener. This one is a good test for both teams.

? NBA, Warriors at Sacramento, 7 p.m. Wednesday (CSNBA): The Warriors seem to have taken a step forward after a nice road trip, while the same can't be said for its NorCal neighbors. Golden State looks to keep the good vibes rolling in their return to the West.

? Boys Basketball, Scattini Tournament at Palma High, Thursday-Saturday: Before you head out for the holidays drop in to see some good high school basketball right here in Salinas.

? Ryan Wallace is a sports reporter for The Salinas Californian. Contact him at 831-754-4267 or wallacer@thecalifornian.com. Follow him on Twitter @wallace_salnews.

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Ryan Wallace: Can't-miss games galore on NFL Sunday

If there ever was a weekend to have DIRECTV's NFL Sunday Ticket this is it. As all of you sports junkies must have heard by now there will be six games on Sunday in which both teams have winning